Passenger Trains > San Joaquin reroutet throgh downtown Sacramento..??

Catch an Amtrak toward L.A. from midtown Sacramento?

Train officials propose new service.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article177028481.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/17 21:58 by djansson.

Thought they already had trains from LA (Bakersfield) to Downtown Sacramento.

From the article...

“No new passenger service has formally been agreed to,” UP spokesman Justin Jacobs said in an email to The Bee. “At this point, we have just been asked to study the feasibility of additional passenger service on the (line). Until that study is complete, we are not able to comment on our ability to host any new service within the corridor or details on potential station locations.”

The ex-WP line is slightly farther away from downtown than the current Amtrak station and slices through residential areas. The proposed Q St. stop (for transfer to light rail) seems like a good idea. Too bad Haggin (the junction with the ex-SP) has no connector tracks for northbounds on the ex-WP to head west to reach the Amtrak Station, and vice versa. Those who rode the Coast Starlight detour to Tehachapi might remember the shoving move needed there.

Good number of BNSF trains rumble through the Sac Sub. Wonder if they have any say on this proposal?

PHall Wrote:
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> Thought they already had trains from LA
> (Bakersfield) to Downtown Sacramento.

If you read between the lines in the article, it seems UP doesn't want to give up any more freight capacity on the Fresno Sub. That means additional San Joaquin trains using the current route is iffy.

Seems to me that passenger rail service would then be divided between two stations in Sac. I would love to hear what anyone with rail planning experience might say about separate rail stations. My sense is that is the last thing you would want to do.

WP17

WP17 Wrote:
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> Seems to me that passenger rail service would then
> be divided between two stations in Sac. I would
> love to hear what anyone with rail planning
> experience might say about separate rail stations.
> My sense is that is the last thing you would want
> to do.
>
> WP17

Stockton already does that, the ex-ATSF and ex-SP stations. Not a pleasant walk between them (done it a few times), but there is a handful of scheduled AmBuses that connect the two stations.

If San Joaquin Joint Powers want more trains, the most sensible (and costly) solution might be to extend the doubletrack sections on the Fresno Sub. I'm sure UP would want some government subsidy for that capacity improvement. Capitol Corridor trains enjoy double-tracking on the entire Martinez Sub (Cal-P).

This blog seems to have a nice discussion of the issues. The option of backing into the Sacramento station from the wye at Haggin wasn't mentioned in the proposal.

https://ntbraymer.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/what-expanded-san-joaquin-rail-service-to-sacramento-could-look-like/

It's a bad idea proposed by the JPA. Just as bad as the new schedule that will eliminate the morning train from Sacramento to Bakersfield and the evening train from Bakersfield to Sacramento. Both trains are full of passengers traveling to and from Southern California on Thruway Buses. A lot more than will ride a 4 AM train out of Fresno. Trading passenger miles and revenue and for shorter commuter trips with less revenue. The San Joaquin is an INTERCITY service, not a commuter train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/17 11:04 by SanDiegan.

SanDiegan Wrote:
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> It's a bad idea proposed by the JPA. Just as bad
> as the new schedule that will eliminate the
> morning train from Sacramento to Los Angeles and
> the evening train from Bakersfield to Sacramento.
> Both trains are full of passengers traveling to
> and from Southern California on Thruway Buses. A
> lot more than will ride a 4 AM train out of
> Fresno. Trading passenger miles and revenue and
> for shorter commuter trips with less revenue. The
> San Joaquin is an INTERCITY service, not a
> commuter train.


This is one of the drawbacks with devolving the trains to local agencies like the JPA, they do what is best for their fiefdom instead of what is best for the whole. So you do end up with a commuter style network.

Plus not to mention that the Sacramento Station design was created with barely any foresight for the future. There is very very limited train storage or train capacity in the Sacramento Station today.



bretton88 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SanDiegan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's a bad idea proposed by the JPA. Just as
> bad
> > as the new schedule that will eliminate the
> > morning train from Sacramento to Los Angeles
> and
> > the evening train from Bakersfield to
> Sacramento.
> > Both trains are full of passengers traveling to
> > and from Southern California on Thruway Buses.
> A
> > lot more than will ride a 4 AM train out of
> > Fresno. Trading passenger miles and revenue and
> > for shorter commuter trips with less revenue.
> The
> > San Joaquin is an INTERCITY service, not a
> > commuter train.
>
>
> This is one of the drawbacks with devolving the
> trains to local agencies like the JPA, they do
> what is best for their fiefdom instead of what is
> best for the whole. So you do end up with a
> commuter style network.

> Too bad Haggin (the junction with the ex-SP) has no connector tracks for northbounds on the ex-WP to head west to reach the Amtrak Station, and vice versa.

1) it can be done, it's just a bit complicated and 2) where would you put a direct connection?

>Capitol Corridor trains enjoy double-tracking on the entire Martinez Sub (Cal-P).

Which dates to the teens and 20s (the 19-teens and 1920s, that is) and was installed without govmint subsidies..

>Plus not to mention that the Sacramento Station design was created with barely any foresight for the future.

You got that right.

One additional note about this is the “possible” extension of the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) north from Stockton to Sacramento, which would be true commute service.

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